Titan baseball captains to play college ball

By Kim CraftTimes2

Wednesday

Jul 25, 2007 at 12:01 AM

Two captains from the first baseball team to play for Gadsden City High School will play college ball.Pitcher and outfielder Junior Gray signed to play for Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, Fla. Outfielder Jonathan Bowen will play for Gadsden State.Gray, the team's most valuable player, finished the 2007 seasons with a 5-3 record on the mound. The southpaw had an ERA of 2.99, struck out 88 and allowed 38 hits in 631Ú3 innings pitched. When not pitching Gray played in the outfield.A threat at the plate, Gray batted .395 with three home runs and 11 doubles among his 34 hits, and 23 RBI. He scored 24 runs and was a perfect 16-for-16 in stolen base attempts.Bowen was invited to walk on at Gadsden State after he received an academic scholarship to attend classes there.Similar to his teammate, Bowen was equally successful on the bases, stealing nine in nine attempts.Bowen had 35 hits, including five triples and one home run, and 22 RBI en route to batting .365 and scoring 18 runs.Gadsden City coach Todd Lamberth characterized Gray and Bowen as the type players a program needs to be successful."What those two brought," he said, "the younger players were able to see that and to know what it takes each and every day you step onto the baseball field."Lamberth said Bowen brought energy, leadership and tenacity to the team."He was our leadoff guy and kind of the table setter for the rest of the lineup," the coach explained. "In center field, he was our leader in the outfield."Lamberth characterized Gray as an irreplaceable type of player.He described Gray as a "catalyst" on the mound and at the plate."The talent that he possesses, that he could bring every day, was pretty much unmatched in this area," Lamberth said, before adding, "whatever Tyler Stovall meant to Hokes Bluff is what Junior Gray meant to the Titans."Stovall became the state's single season strikeout leader in helping the Eagles to the Class 3A championship.Lamberth said Gray's "ability, work ethic and leadership is something we have to have in order to get off to a good start with the baseball program."A number of athletes contributed to many firsts during Gadsden City's first year of existence, following the consolidation of Gadsden, Emma Sansom and Litchfield high schools, and Gray and Bowen were an integral part of the Titans' first season on the diamond.Lamberth said Gray got the Titans' first hit, first RBI and first win.He also was the first Titans player to sign to play college baseball, having made the commitment in April. He said Bowen became the first to steal a base and score a run.Okaloosa-Walton and Gadsden State compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association with the Raiders in Region 8 and the Cardinals in Region 22.

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